Warning: Video images may be disturbing and graphic.
A longtime cattleman found himself in the uncomfortable confines of a Skagit County courtroom, Friday.
Prosecutors brought five felony charges for animal cruelty against 88-year-old Roger Pederson.
He pleaded not guilty to all of them.
It's a case that has outraged many in Pederson's rural farming community.
"I have no words for how angry this makes me," said local veterinary technician Cristine Cameron, who came to watch the proceedings in court.
According to an affidavit of probable, authorities raided Pederson's Bay View ranch in January, finding 72 dead cattle. Many more were literally falling over from starvation. Another 15 had to be euthanized.
Court documents show an animal control officer spent eight days on the property and found many of the animals had "suffered slow, painful deaths" due to starvation and parasites.
Authorities said there was less than half the amount of food necessary to sustain the 150 head herd. Much of the food was rotting and inedible.
"This is just unacceptable," said an exasperated Cameron. "This is about suffering, starvation and knowingly allowing these animals to suffer and die."
This isn't the first time Pederson has been accused of animal cruelty.
In 2005, KING 5 cameras revealed 172 dead cattle on his land, left to rot and create a health hazard for neighbors.
Pederson was charged, but nothing ever came of it.
That is why he must be held accountable now, according to Skagit Valley Humane Society Executive Director Janine Ceja.
"There isn't a single rancher who would defend what he has done. An example must be set. How can we, as a community, accept this barbaric mentality? It's wrong on all levels," said Ceja.
Through his attorney, Mr. Pederson told KING 5, "conditions this past winter were poor which can negatively impact the health of a herd."
He asked that the "community refrain from judgment until all of the information is known."
According to prosecutors, the 88-year-old rancher faces a year in jail for each of the five felony charges, if convicted.
His trial is set for October.
